Friedrich Merz, one of the frontrunners to be Germany's next chancellor from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, is "deeply concerned" on the latest developments in the United States during Donald Trump's second presidency, writes Politico.
He told a rally that "this is no longer the America we knew", amid the Trump administration's major reforms of the federal government.
"The way Justice Department officials are being thrown out, the way they are pardoning people who have been sentenced to years in prison, will have consequences for America," Merz warned.
Merz's warning comes amid a wave of staff and agency cuts in both the U.S. federal government and changes to foreign aid since Trump took office.
Trump has also threatened to impose tariffs on the European Union (EU).
Germans will vote in early elections on February 23, with Merz trying to defend his lead over the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Elon Musk, the tech billionaire who has become a key figure in the Trump administration, has been sharply criticized by German authorities after encouraging Germans to vote for the AfD at a party rally, where he also said that Germans should shake off their guilt for Nazi crimes.
The snap election was triggered by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's decision to dissolve parliament in late December after a budget row in the previous ruling coalition.
In late January, the German magazine "Spiegel" announced that the alliance of the CDU and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) parties is leading in popularity in pre-election surveys by nine public opinion research institutes.
Currently, 31% of respondents are ready to support the CDU/CSU, while 21% of respondents are ready to support the AfD.